FAA Mandates Inspections for Select Boeing 787s Over Potential Structural Defects
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a series of mandatory inspections aimed at assessing the structural integrity of a portion of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet. The directive comes in direct response to the detection of severe structural risks that could compromise the aircraft’s ability to maintain safe flight and landing, Bloomberg reported.
The FAA published the final Airworthiness Directive (AD) on Wednesday following confirmation of an internal investigation conducted by Boeing that evaluated potential manufacturing and assembly errors.
The agency estimates that the directive directly affects 17 U.S.-registered aircraft. To comply with the mandate, operating airlines must execute the following technical procedures:
- Ultrasonic Inspections: Non-destructive ultrasonic testing to analyze the internal structure of the affected areas.
- Detailed Inspections: Thorough visual and mechanical checks to verify the condition and integrity of the involved structures.
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Root Cause: Shim Gaps and Fatigue Cracking
The manufacturer’s investigation identified the technical factors that triggered the issuance of this regulatory order. According to Boeing’s findings, “gaps between shims could have exceeded engineering limits, and elevated tensile forces on the components could lead to the formation of fatigue cracks at the fastener holes.”
Understanding Shim Gaps
Shim gaps are small separations or voids between assembled aircraft components, such as fuselage joints or primary wing sections. In standard aerospace manufacturing, these gaps must be filled with metal or composite shims—in solid or liquid form—adhering to strict, precise engineering tolerances.
The U.S. regulator explicitly warned that if the required corrective actions are not performed, the cracks “could propagate and weaken the primary wing structure” to a critical point where the section can no longer sustain limit loads. Such a scenario would degrade operation, potentially leading to a loss of safe flight and landing capability.
Boeing’s Official Position
For its part, the American airframer noted that the deficiencies identified in the Boeing 787 fleet originate back to 2019. As part of its mitigation efforts, the company disclosed that it issued a Service Bulletin in August 2025 regarding these engineering issues.
Since the publication of that technical document, Boeing stated it has been continuously collaborating with operators, maintaining that the affected aircraft remain safe to operate.
The issuance of this Airworthiness Directive mandates that airlines carry out the ultrasonic and detailed inspections required by the regulatory authority to rule out the presence of fatigue cracking in the Boeing 787 Dreamliner’s wing structure.
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